[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 53 (Thursday, March 24, 2022)]
[Senate]
[Pages S1783-S1784]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 SUPPORTING EXPANDED REVIEW FOR VETERANS IN COMBAT ENVIRONMENTS ACT OF 
                                  2021

  Mr. SCHUMER. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the 
Committee on Veterans' Affairs be discharged from further consideration 
of S. 2102 and the Senate proceed to its immediate consideration.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The clerk will report the bill by title.
  The senior assistant legislative clerk read as follows:

       A bill (S. 2102) to amend title 38, United States Code, to 
     direct the Under Secretary for Health of the Department of 
     Veterans Affairs to provide mammography screening for 
     veterans who served in locations associated with toxic 
     exposure.

  There being no objection, the committee was discharged, and the 
Senate proceeded to consider the bill.
  Mr. SCHUMER. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Boozman 
substitute amendment be considered and agreed to and that the bill, as 
amended, be considered read a third time.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The amendment (No. 5014) in the nature of a substitute was agreed to, 
as follows:

                (Purpose: In the nature of a substitute)

        Strike all after the enacting clause and insert the 
     following:

     SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

       This Act may be cited as the ``Dr. Kate Hendricks Thomas 
     Supporting Expanded Review for Veterans In Combat 
     Environments

[[Page S1784]]

     Act'' or the ``Dr. Kate Hendricks Thomas SERVICE Act''.

     SEC. 2. REVISION OF BREAST CANCER MAMMOGRAPHY POLICY OF 
                   DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS TO PROVIDE 
                   MAMMOGRAPHY SCREENING FOR VETERANS WHO SERVED 
                   IN LOCATIONS ASSOCIATED WITH TOXIC EXPOSURE.

       (a) In General.--Section 7322 of title 38, United States 
     Code, is amended--
       (1) in subsection (a), by striking ``The'' and inserting 
     ``In General.--The'';
       (2) in subsection (b)--
       (A) by striking ``The'' and inserting ``Standards for 
     Screening.--The''; and
       (B) in paragraph (2)(B), by inserting ``a record of service 
     in a location and during a period specified in subsection 
     (d),'' after ``risk factors,''; and
       (3) by adding at the end the following new subsections:
       ``(c) Eligibility for Screening for Veterans Exposed to 
     Toxic Substances.--The Under Secretary for Health shall 
     ensure that, under the policy developed under subsection (a), 
     any veteran who, during active military, naval, or air 
     service, was deployed in support of a contingency operation 
     in a location and during a period specified in subsection 
     (d), is eligible for a mammography screening by a health care 
     provider of the Department.
       ``(d) Locations and Periods Specified.--(1) The locations 
     and periods specified in this subsection are the following:
       ``(A) Iraq during following periods:
       ``(i) The period beginning on August 2, 1990, and ending on 
     February 28, 1991.
       ``(ii) The period beginning on March 19, 2003, and ending 
     on such date as the Secretary determines burn pits are no 
     longer used in Iraq.
       ``(B) The Southwest Asia theater of operations, other than 
     Iraq, during the period beginning on August 2, 1990, and 
     ending on such date as the Secretary determines burn pits are 
     no longer used in such location, including the following 
     locations:
       ``(i) Kuwait.
       ``(ii) Saudi Arabia.
       ``(iii) Oman.
       ``(iv) Qatar.
       ``(C) Afghanistan during the period beginning on September 
     11, 2001, and ending on such date as the Secretary determines 
     burn pits are no longer used in Afghanistan.
       ``(D) Djibouti during the period beginning on September 11, 
     2001, and ending on such date as the Secretary determines 
     burn pits are no longer used in Djibouti.
       ``(E) Syria during the period beginning on September 11, 
     2001, and ending on such date as the Secretary determines 
     burn pits are no longer used in Syria.
       ``(F) Jordan during the period beginning on September 11, 
     2001, and ending on such date as the Secretary determines 
     burn pits are no longer used in Jordan.
       ``(G) Egypt during the period beginning on September 11, 
     2001, and ending on such date as the Secretary determines 
     burn pits are no longer used in Egypt.
       ``(H) Lebanon during the period beginning on September 11, 
     2001, and ending on such date as the Secretary determines 
     burn pits are no longer used in Lebanon.
       ``(I) Yemen during the period beginning on September 11, 
     2001, and ending on such date as the Secretary determines 
     burn pits are no longer used in Yemen.
       ``(J) Such other locations and corresponding periods as set 
     forth by the Airborne Hazards and Open Burn Pit Registry 
     established under section 201 of the Dignified Burial and 
     Other Veterans' Benefits Improvement Act of 2012 (Public Law 
     112-260; 38 U.S.C. 527 note).
       ``(K) Such other locations and corresponding periods as the 
     Secretary, in collaboration with the Secretary of Defense, 
     may determine appropriate in a report submitted under 
     paragraph (2).
       ``(2) Not later than two years after the date of the 
     enactment of the Dr. Kate Hendricks Thomas Supporting 
     Expanded Review for Veterans In Combat Environments Act, and 
     not less frequently than once every two years thereafter, the 
     Secretary of Veterans Affairs, in collaboration with the 
     Secretary of Defense, shall submit to Congress a report 
     specifying other locations and corresponding periods for 
     purposes of paragraph (1)(K).
       ``(3) A location under this subsection shall not include 
     any body of water around or any airspace above such location.
       ``(4) In this subsection, the term `burn pit' means an area 
     of land that--
       ``(A) is used for disposal of solid waste by burning in the 
     outdoor air; and
       ``(B) does not contain a commercially manufactured 
     incinerator or other equipment specifically designed and 
     manufactured for the burning of solid waste.''.
       (b) Report on Breast Cancer Rates for Veterans Deployed to 
     Certain Areas.--Not later than two years after the date of 
     the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs 
     shall submit to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs of the 
     Senate and the Committee on Veterans' Affairs of the House of 
     Representatives a report that compares the rates of breast 
     cancer among members of the Armed Forces deployed to the 
     locations and during the periods specified in section 7322(d) 
     of title 38, United States Code, as added by subsection (a), 
     as compared to members of the Armed Forces who were not 
     deployed to those locations during those periods and to the 
     civilian population.

  The bill, as amended, was ordered to be engrossed for a third reading 
and was read the third time.
  Mr. SCHUMER. I know of no further debate on the bill, as amended.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. If there is no further debate, the bill having 
been read the third time, the question is, Shall the bill pass?
  The bill (S. 2102), as amended, was passed.
  Mr. SCHUMER. Mr. President, I further ask that the motion to 
reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.

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